HOLMWOOD RESIDENTS NEWSLETTER MAY 2013

Daffodowndilly by A.A. Milne She wore her yellow sun-bonnet, She wore her greenest gown; She turned to the south wind And curtsied up and down. She turned to the sunlight And shook her yellow head, And whispered to her neighbour: "Winter is dead."

Goodbye to Jackie

After 27 years of Hairdressing at Holmwood Jackie has decided to retire. An emotional leaving party was held and tearful speeches made before everyone was back to smiley faces and wishing Jackie the best for her retirement. We now have a new hairdresser called Sandra to take Jackie’s place who will be offering the same services but with a new price list which is on the noticeboard.

Dorothy’s Leaving Party On the 9th of May Holmwood held a leaving party for Mrs Dorothy Wyburn who had been with us for a year. After a lot of hard work by Dorothy and Holmwood staff, Dorothy has recovered enough to go home at long last. We have had great pleasure in helping her recover her confidence and health. Dorothy has always had a smile on her face from the start and a kind word for everyone. We would like to wish her all the best in her new home and hope that sometime in the future she will come and see us again.

Southwold Beach Hut Now that Spring is finally here the Beach Hut is back on the promenade at Southwold. Normally it is back earlier than this but due to the bad weather it is late this year. It available for use by residents, family and staff. Please see a member of the office staff for details. RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS CQC Inspection We had our unannounced annual inspection by the CQC (Care Quality Commission) in January. We are proud to again be assessed as compliant with all standards inspected, as we feel this demonstrates our commitment to delivering an excellent service to you all. ‘This home has good staff and is run well’ comments from GP. ‘The food is always good here and there’s plenty of it.’ & ‘It was a big move to make moving out of my home but I don’t regret coming here, everyone is very kind’ Residents comments. To read more see the report at www.cqc.org.uk and type in NR35 1BE.

GOLD STANDARD FRAMEWORK Holmwood has passed the first stage of the Gold Standard Framework. This is a framework to enable a gold standard of care for all people nearing the end of life. End of Life Care is a vital part of any care home’s support for its residents. Our aging population and increasing incidence of dementia means that care homes support residents with far more complex conditions and about a fifth of all UK deaths take place within care homes. This makes it even more important that care home staff are trained to deliver excellent End of Life Care. The GSF in Care Homes Programme enables care home staff to deliver more personalised care within the care home — providing residents with a better quality of life consistent with their wishes GEMS AWARD

Earlier in the year Holmwood was entered into the Suffolk Gem Awards. This award is in recognition and celebration of good practice and quality services in residential care. We have been shortlisted within the “Inside and Out” category which is for creative activities and inclusive social participation. The winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony in June. We will be sending 2 staff members, 2 residents and 1 relative to the ceremony.

FOCUS ON FOOD At Holmwood we offer an individualised wholesome and varied diet which includes any special requirements that residents have. Our satisfaction surveys reveal that overall our residents are very happy with the quality and choice of food available. We would like to briefly outline for you how Holmwood records and reviews a resident’s food preference. When we first assess a person prior to living at Holmwood we ask lots of questions regarding their likes and dislikes. This information is stored in a person’s care plan and an individual document is stored in the kitchen. We review care plans annually with residents and their families, and include discussions about dietary needs. We also regularly review a resident’s weight and dietary intake. The senior cook attends resident’s association meetings and other gatherings to discuss menus and residents wishes. Where we have concerns about a person’s ability to inform us of their likes and dislikes, we will liaise with family members and other health care professionals.

FORTHCOMING DATES OF INTEREST Wednesday 8th Residents Meeting 1.30pm Monday 3rd June Music for Health 2.30pm Saturday 6th July Holmwood Sports Day Monday 12th August Music for Health 2.30pm Saturday 17thAugust Holmwood Fete Tuesday 3rd September Boat Trip from Beccles (all day)

REGULAR DATES Tuesdays at 3pm Armchair Exercises in the lounge. Wednesdays at 2.30pm Games and Crafts in the dining room. Alternate Friday’s art classes with Maureen. Visiting hairdresser every Wednesday and Thursday. Communion on the first Wednesday of the month.